MBAM appeals for extension of E-Card registration

PETALING JAYA: Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) has appealed to the government to extend the E-Card registration period till Feb 15, 2018 to coincide with the closing date of the rehiring programme.
Its president Foo Chek Lee said in a statement today that it will seek the assistance of the Immigration Department of Malaysia to resolve issues pertaining to problems and delays with regards to E-Card registration.
"We hope the government will consider the simplify the procedure for E-Card registration to better encourage more employers to come forth to register their illegal workers. In fact, MBAM strongly recommends that the government do not collect the RM600 upfront charges as agreed earlier for the rehiring programme during the E-Card registration as this does impact the registration process," he said.
Foo said the construction industry is facing great constraint in terms of workforce shortage due to lower supply of foreign workers and is appealing to the government to temporarily defer any action or raiding of construction sites until the issues raised above are resolved, to avoid crippling the construction industry.
"We hope the government and all the relevant agencies will take heed of our call for the extension of the E-Card to ensure that the manpower needed is sustainable because without their help, there will be no assurance that the construction industry can continue to perform to support economic growth as envisioned by the government," he added.
The E-Card programme was introduced to meet the high demand for foreign workers to address labour shortages in Peninsular Malaysia and the Immigration Department has been issuing the E-Cards to employers who register their illegal foreign workers since Feb 15.
The deadline for the E-Card registration is today. From July 1 onwards, illegal workers who are caught will be deported back and action will be taken against the employers.
Last week, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said that the June 30 deadline will not be extended and warned employers that the department will proceed with its manhunt for illegal workers on July 1 nationwide.